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“But a few years back my wife Amanda was running a child-minding business and it gave me the idea of writing songs for children.

“I discovered it was nice to find a different way of working and writing songs that meant I didn’t have to worry about getting coverage in the NME or going on tour.

“I’m very busy at the moment and it’s turned into a full-time job – I’ve probably played more times than Bruce Springsteen this year.

“The Candyskins have reformed a couple of times but I’m not sure if it will happen again.

“The band almost made it big but had so many bits of bad luck along the way and now I’m able to do something on my own terms – it’s a cottage industry.”

Venues Mr Cope plays regularly include North Oxford Community Centre in Diamond Place and Trinity Church in Abingdon.

About 40 mums, babies and toddlers gathered for a singing session at North Oxford Association community centre on Thursday.

Kirsty Gray, 37, from Marston, was at the session with daughter Ella, 18 months, and son Isaac, four.

She said: “I knew Nick used to be in a band but I didn’t know the name of it.

“The children think his songs are brilliant and play the CDs all the time.”

Andrea Bird, 39, from Headington, who joined in with sons Fiachra, three, and Cillian, two, added: “I checked The Candyskins out on YouTube.

“The children love the songs and we play the CDs in the car.”

The Candyskins recorded four studio albums before splitting in 1989. They featured in Anyone Can Play Guitar, the documentary film about the Oxford music scene, and reformed briefly to play at
Truck Festival in 2009.